Caring Your Hair Transplant
A hair transplant, which is a surgical procedure to improve baldness, is one of the most frequently performed cosmetic surgery procedures for men. The period immediately following your hair transplant is the most important for ensuring your procedure is successful. Take care to elevate your head at night, use your medications appropriately, and look for warning signs that the graft is infected. Stay out of swimming pools, and avoid sports and rigorous physical activity. Always follow your doctor’s directions and you’ll have a smooth recovery.
Caring for Your Hair Immediately Following the Procedure
Be aware of the risks before having a hair transplant. Risks of the procedure may include:
- Infection
- Excessive bleeding
- Scarring
- Hair follicle death resulting in no new hair growth
- An unnatural-looking patchy hair growth pattern
2
Keep your head wrapped for the first 24 hours after surgery.[4] After surgery, your head will be wrapped by a headband, a bandanna, and a surgeon’s cap. If you have a bandage on the incision area, then that is usually removed the following day.[5] The day after the surgery, remove the bandanna and surgeon’s cap, but do not remove the headband. Be careful when removing headgear to avoid pulling out a graft.
3
Elevate your head at night. Following your hair transplant, you should sleep with your head elevated for at least three days. Keeping the head elevated after the procedure will limit swelling on the scalp. Add an extra few pillows to your bed and sleep on your back. If possible, sleep in a reclining chair so as to limit movement during sleep.
4
Pay attention to warning signs. For a few days after your hair transplant, you’ll experience slight pain, swelling, or redness on or around the scalp. However, if you give yourself an appropriate level of rest and closely follow your surgeon's instructions.
Other signs of infection include feeling feverish, chilled, or running a fever. You might also see a yellowish pus coming out of the graft site or suture line. In any of these cases, call your doctor.
Use an ice pack to reduce swelling. Do not place the ice pack on the actual grafted area. Instead, place it on the back of the head or the forehead.
5
Take your medications. You will receive prescriptions for various medications after the procedure. Take them in the prescribed dosage for the prescribed amount of time. These medications may help with your recovery. Your doctor may prescribe. An antibiotic to help prevent infection.
6
Don't scratch. The transplanted area may feel itchy for a few days. Avoid scratching or picking on the scabs or you might dislodge a root hair. If you do accidentally dislodge a hair, do not try to put it back.
If the itching is too difficult to control, consult your doctor. He or she might be able to give you medication to limit itchiness.
7
Wash your hair. Depending on your surgeon and the procedure, you should be able to wash your hair within two days of the procedure. Do not use a high pressure shower, or expose your hair to either very hot or cold water. Pat dry.
If your surgeon provided you with a specialized shampoo, use it according to the provided directions.
8
Avoid tight fitting, round-necked T-shirts. They may rub the transplant area when coming on or off. Stick to buttoned shirts or loose-necked tees instead.